Noel Harrison, 'Windmills of Your Mind' Singer, Dies at 79

Harrison, whose song 'The Windmills of Your Mind' for 'The Thomas Crown Affair' soundtrack won Oscar's best song category in 1968, reportedly suffered from heart attack.

British singer/actor Noel Harrison, who is popular for his song "The Windmills of Your Mind", passed away on Saturday night, October 19, his family said on Tuesday. He was 79.

Harrison passed away at his home in Ashburton, Devon in England. He apparently had heart attack after performing at the village of Black Dog prior to his death. "He will be loved and missed by more people than I ever knew," Harrison's wife, Lori Chapman, told the Associated Press.

Stefanie Powers, who played alongside Harrison on "The Girl From U.N.C.L.E." in 1966, shared the sad news via Twitter. "My darling friend Noel Harrison passed last night. Let us all light a candle to speed him on his way - he deserves to fly with the angels," Powers wrote.

Harrison was born in London on January 29, 1934. His father, stage actor Rex Harrison, and mother, Collette Thomas, got divorced when he was young. He lived with his mother's parents until he was 15. He and his mother later moved to Switzerland.

Harrison was interested in playing ski. He became a British ski-racing champion and competed at Winter Olympics in 1952 and 1956. He then moved to the U.S. in 1965 and had a successful career in music. "I was part of the 'British Invasion' spearheaded by The Beatles. I bought a nice house in Los Angeles," he wrote on his website.

He had chart hits with "A Young Girl" by Charles Aznavour and "Suzanne" by Leonard Cohen. His track "The Windmills of Your Mind", which was featured in "The Thomas Crown Affair", won Best Song category in 1968 Academy Awards.

Harrison, who got married three times and has five children, said that he did not like his celebrity status. "There are lots of perks, pretty women all over you, good tables at fancy restaurants ... but my marriage was crumbling and I felt as if I was exposing my emotional and distressed state in a fishbowl," he said. Harisson later met his third wife and the couple moved to U.K. in 1990s.